Apparatus for tying annular articles



May 17, 1966 w..1. HILL ETAL APPARATUS FOR TYING ANNULAR ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. l2, 1964 H69 @ad f@ 99 /xf mvEATORs William 9HZZ BY lcwa H. BL/Tsl( ff@ H ofrffzeys May 17, i966 w. J. HILL. ETAL APPARATUS FOR TYING ANNULAR ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. l2, 1964 HYD- MOTOR INVENTORS BY 77Zd7c H. Bus

M m @ma H ofneys May 17, 1966 w. J. HILL. ETAL 3,251,294

APPARATUS FOR TYING ANNULAR ARTICLES Filed Nov. l2, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 In; ulllllllI United States Patent O 3,251,294 APPARATUS FUR TYlNG ANNULAR ARTICLES William J. Hill, Holden, Mass., and Max H. Bursk, Fribourg, Switzerland, assignors to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,669 9 Claims. (Cl. lull-4) This invention, which is a continuation-in-part of coi pending application Serial No. 179,758, now abandoned,

lrelates generally to coil handling apparatus and more particularly to a means for automatically binding coils of rod or the like in order to facilitate further handling of the coil.

There are many -situations in industry where it becomes necessary to tie a coiled bundle of stranded material in order to prevent the coil from becoming disarranged or unraveled at a later point in the manufacturing process. Such a situation frequently occurs in the production of steel rod where following the rolling operation, the rod is coiled by reeling apparatus and then placed on a hook carrier where it cools while being transported to a remote storage area. The length of time involved in transporting the coil to the place of ultimate storage is usually of sufficient duration to permit tying the strands ofthe bundle together, thereby obviating the problem of strands becoming disarranged when the coil is subsequently handled. When performing the typing operation, it is usually desirable to bind diametrically opposite sides of the coil for otherwise, the unbound side is free to fan open and cause trouble.

In the past, it has been the practice to station a man` on either side of the hook carrier to apply wire or similar tying material to the coils by hand. However, as the operating speeds of rod mills continue to increase, it becomes more difdcult for men to keep up With the flow of coils passing along the conveyor path. Attempts have been made in the past to develop automatic equipment for performing this operation. Most equipment of this type has been designed to perform the tying operation on moving coils or as is commonly referred to, on the fly, but such apparatus has been unduly complicated, expensive and in addition, has been found to require unnecessarily large area-s of mill floor space. A further disadvantage experienced with existing machines is to be found in the necessity of limiting or slowing the speed of the hook carrier carrying the coils in order to accommodate the slower operating speed of the tying apparatus. These and other diffculties experiencedA with the existing devices have now been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for tying moving annular articles, which apparatus occupies a minimum of floor space.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus yfor tying annular articles which is simple, inexpensive to construct-and capable of eX- tended operation without frequent maintenance.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of means for tying annular articles which employs multiple tying heads thereby permitting continuous operation without requiring restocking of tying materials.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for tying annular articles which makes use of rotary motion rather than reciprocating motion, thereby permitting the tying heads to move at the same speed as the hook carrier.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a coil tying apparatus capable of operating at the same speed as that of the coil conveyor. v

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in azsrzat Patented May 17, 1966 ICC the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustratedin the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the apparatus ernbodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. l; and,

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the apparatus taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged View of a portion of the apparatus with parts broken away to better illustrate the means utilized in supplying hydraulic iluid to the various hydraulically operated components;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a portion of the operational control system;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged sectional View taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an enlargedsectional view taken. along line 7-7 of FIG. .3;

FIG. is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. l;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of a portion of the control system relating to the hydraulic strap rack actuators, and

FIG. l0 is a diagrammatic illustration showing still another portion of the control system relating to the tying heads.

Referring initially to FIG. l, it can be seen that the apparatus generally indicated -by the reference numeral 10 includes a conveyor assembly 12 which supports a plurality of movable depending hooks 14 for carrying coils of steel rod 16. The coils have just been processed in a rod rolling mill. Conveyor assembly 12; comprises a track in the form of an I-beam 18 on the bottom llange of which are carried wheeled carriages 20 from Which the hooks 14 are swingably supported. The successive carriages are joined by a flexible chain C which is driven in the usual way to move along I-beam 13 in the path of the conveyor. The track 18 is formed with a straight portion 22 leading to a remote coil storage area and another straight portion 24 extending from the reeling apparatus of a rolling mill. Between these: two straight portions is a curved portion 26 which is in the general shape of a letter S lying in a horizontal plane.

A pair of spaced parallel channel members 2S overlieI the S shaped portion of beam 18 and form a portion of the overall mill structure. Members 28 support bearings 29 which in turn rotatably support the upper ends of tubular posts 30 and 32. The lower ends of posts 30 and 32 are rotatably `supported by fixed bearing mounts 31, one of which is clearly shown in FIG. 3 positioned below the level of the mill floor in a recessed well 33.

Rotatably mounted on post 30 is -a sprocket Wheel 34 which is driven by the chain C forming part of conveyor assembly '12. An identical sprocket wheel 36 is rotatably mounted on post 32 and driven from the same conveyor chain.

A horizontally disposed table assembly 38 is located beneath sprocket wheel 3-4 on post 30. Table assembly 38 is comprised basically of vertically spaced upper and lower circular plates 38a and 38b drilled at their centers to axially accept post 30 ,and interconnected :by webs 39 to provide a rigid `frarne structure. Upper plate 38a is `further provided with a centrally positioned tubular collar 40 (see FIG. 8) having integrally fabricated inwardly extending keys 42 which cooperated with vertical slots 44 in post 30 to mechanically engage the table to the post. Upper plate 38a provides a supporting surface for the banding or tying heads l46 which will hereinafter be described in greater detail. A second table assembly 48 having banding heads 50 positioned on its upper plate 48a is similarly mounted on post 32 by another collar 40 below sprocket wheel 36. Thus it can be seen that by virtue of the mechanical engagement between the keys 42 on collars 4t) and the slots 44 in the posts, table assemblies 38 and 48 will rotate with posts 31B and 32 under the influence of sprocket wheels 34 and 36 which are driven by a common chain C. With the chain ytraveling in a direction as indicated in FIG. l, it will now be obvious that table 48 will be driven in a clockwise direction and table `38 is a counterclockiwise direction.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the upper plate 48a of table 48 is generally circular in shape with peripheral portions cut away as at 52 to provide areas in each of which may be lodged a coil 16. This design forms three fixed arms 54, 56 and 58 each carrying a tying head G. Associated with the tying heads are compacting arms 60a, b and 60C and two strap guides 612 and 64 which cooperate with fixed arms 54, 56 and S8 in performing a tying operation `on one side of the coil. In the same way, upper plate 38a of table 38 is lgenerally circular in shape with peripheral portions cnt out to define three xed arms 66, 68 and 70 each having its own tying head 46 positioned thereon. Table 38 is further provided with compacting arms 72a, 72b and 72C which cooperate with fixed arms 66, 68 and 70, tying heads 46 and strap guides 74 and 76 in performing a tying operation on the other side of the coil.

The means utilized in operating the compacting arms will now be described with particular reference to FIG. 3. Although this description will pertain primarily to a single compacting arm 601;, it should be understood that each compacting arm .in the apparatus is operated in an identical manner. Compacting arm 60b comprises an upper horizontally disposed radial extension 79 of a tubular sleeve 80 which is mounted between upper and lower plates 48a and 4811 for rotation on a shaft 82 extending vertically therebetween. Sleeve 80 is further provided with a lower horizontal extension 84 which extends beneath upper extension A79 in spaced parallel relationship thereto. A hydraulic motor 86 is mounted between compacting arm upper and lower extensions 79 and 84 with its output shaft extending through lower extension 84 lto terminate in an output gear 88. Gear 88 meshes with a mating curved gear 9i) fixed to lower plate 48b. With this arrangement, it can now be readily seen that by operating motor 86, output gear 88 will mesh with gear 90, thereby causing compacting arm 60h to swing about the longitudinal axis of lshaft 82.

When the various components mounted on tables 3S and 48 require repair or maintenance, the tables are lowered below the path followed by coils being carried by conveyor assembly 12. In this manner, the tying operation may be performed manually by operating personnel while repairs are being made to the apparatus, and operation of the rolling mill allowed to continue without interruption. To this end, as can best be seen in FIG. 3 pos-t 32 is surrounded by a slidable sleeve 92 4which is connected at its upper end to lower plate 4811. Both the table 48 and sleeve 92 are slidable as a unit on post 32 which extends upwardly from bearing mount 31. Sleeve 92 forms the piston of a hydraulic jack 96 also mounted on fixed bearing moun-t 31. The jack receives uid under pressure from pipe 98 and operates to raise and lower the sleeve 92 and overlying table 48. Although not shown in the drawings, a similar arrangement is provided for vertically displacing table 38. Thus it can be seen that when work is to be done on the apparatus, the jacks 96 are simply operated to lower one or both of the tables, depending on the circumstances involved. When ready for operation, the tables are raised back to their operative positions again through use of jacks 96.

Each housing 100 is comprised of a stationary outer cylindrical casing 102 supported in a fixed position by means of structural members 104 (shown in FIG. 3)

which form an integral part of the mill structure along with support members 28. As can be best seen in FIG. 6, casing 1112 is internally provided with a series of verti- ,cally spaced annular cam rings, one of which has been shown at 196. The inner edge of each ring is suitably shaped to provide inwardly disposed cam surfaces 108. An inner tubular sleeve is positioned over post 32. for rotation herewith within outer casing 102. A series of interlocking switches 112 are fixed to inner sleeve 110 and are provided with radially extending cam followers 114-. With this arrangement, the switches are actuated at various points during their rotational displacement in conjunction with post 32 by the cooperative action of cam follower 114 and cams 108. The switches are connected through suitable intermediate wiring extending downwardly through the interior of post 32 to conventional ow control valves associated with each hydraulically actuated component. Since post 3-2 is keyed to table 48 by the cooperative engagement of keys 42 engaged within slots 44, it can therefore be seen that the switches 112 are actuated at predetermined points during the rotational displacement of the table.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a portion of the overall control circuit showing the components associated with one hydraulic motor 36. As indicated, slip rings 99 connect an outer source of electrical power to an interlock switch 112. Actuation of the switch by the action of cam follower 114 with a cam surface 108 on cam ring 106 results in an adjustment being made to hydraulic valve 118 which is in turn connected through feed and return lines 120 and 122 to a rotary joint connection 124 and the hydraulic motor 86. As can be seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, rigid sections of feed and return lines 120 and 122 extend upwardly through the interior of post 32 from rotary connection v124 to terminate at their upper exremities in 90 elbows extending radially through both the post 32 and sleeve 92. Sleeve 92 is slotted as at 126 to permit its unimpaired slidable vertical movement over post 32 past lines 120 and 122 during vertical adjustments of the apparatus 10. Flexible extensions 128 and 131i of the feed and return lines 120 and 122 are connected thereto as at 132 with their other ends connected through suitable intermediate piping (not shown) to the various hydraulic valves 118.

It should of course be understood that each of the hydraulically operated components on the table assemblies 33 and 48 is controlled by means of a separate interlock switch 112, cam ring 106 and valve 118. However, all switches are contained within housings 106 located above the table assemblies, which housings receive elec trical power throughslip rings 99. An illustration of this feature may be had by reference to FIGURES 9 and l0 which are diagrammatic illustrations of control systems relating to operation of other components on table assembly 48. For example, in FIG. 9, another portion of the overall control circuit is shown comprising an interlock switch 112g mounted on post 32, either above or below the switch 112 shown in FIG. 5, for rotation therewith without housing 100. This switch is actuated by means of a cam follower 114 which engages cam surfaces 1G80 on another cam ring 1tl6a, also contained within housing 100, above or below cam ring 106. Switch 112g is connected to hydraulic valve 11851, the latter being in turn connected to hydraulic strap track actuators 152 and rotary joint 124 by feed and return lines 120 and 122. The switches 112 and 112:1 and the cam surfaces 108 and 103e will be offset vertically so as to achieve the desired sequence of operation as post 32 continues to rotate.

By further reference to FIGURE 10, another portion of the control circuit has been shown relating to the tying heads 50. For illustrative purposes, an electrically operated tying head has been shown, but it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that a hydraulic or pneumatic device could also be utilized. Tying head 50 is controlled by still another interlock switch 112]), the latter being provided with a calm follower 114 which engages cam surfaces 108]) on a cam ring 106k. The cam ring 10617 and interlock switch 112b are also located within the contines of housing 100 in vertically spaced relationship to the other above-described switches and cam rings used to control the operation of the hydraulic motors 86 and strap track actuators 152.

In view of the above, it can now be seen that the operation of the-tying heads, strap track actuators and compacting arm drive motors can be controlled by separate circuits each of which includes an interlock switch such as those shown diagrammatically in FIGURES 5, 9 -and 10. Each switch will be actuated by a cam follower 114 running over inwardly disposed cam surfaces on vertically spaced cam rings contained within housings 100. With this arrangement, operation of these components will be controlled in response to the rotational displacement -of the apparatus.

When it becomes necessary to repair the apparatus or to perform routine maintenance to the various components, rotation of the tables 38 and 48 must first be interrupted. To this end, a clutch assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 134 is provided to transmit power from the rotating sprocket wheels 34 and 36 to the posts 30 and 32. As can be best seen in FIG. 3, clutch assembly 134 comprises a clutch sleeve 136 slidably mounted on post 32. The clutch sleeve is keyed to the post by elongated keys 138 and is further provided with downwardly disposed teeth 140 which are designed to mesh with notches 142 in the upper rim of underlying hub 144 which forms a part of sprocket wheel 36. The clutch sleeve is raised and lowered by means of a pivotal lever 146 which is connected to the sleeve as at 14S and operated by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 150. When the clutch sleeve is lowered to the engaged position as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 3, the clutch assembly 134 operates to transmit power from the driven sprocket wheel 36 through post 32 to the apparatus. By simply retracting the piston rod of cylinder 150, the clutch sleeve 136 will be raised to disengage teeth 140 from notches 142, thereby interrupting the drive connection provided by the clutch assembly.

The operation of the appartaus will now be readily understood in View of the above description. Coils 16 supported on hooks 14 are carried from the rolling mill along a path deiined by beam 18. As previously discussed, each hook 14 depends from a carriage 20 which is pulled along the lower ange of beam 18 by chain C. The same chain also engages sprocket wheels 34 and 36 to drive table assembly 4S in a clockwise direction and table assembly 3S in a counterclockwise direction.

As viewed in FIG. 2, a coil'16 arriving from the rolling mill will experience stage I of the tying operation when it initially enters the orbit of table 48 and contacts the trailing edge S4 of fixed arm 54. As table 48 continues to rotate with a peripheral speed equalizing that of the coil conveyor 12, the above-described system of interlock switches and hydraulic valves will cause hydraulic tiuid to be fed to the hydraulic motor 86 powering compacting arm 60a. Compacting arm 60a` will swing towards lixed arm 54 to compact one side of coil 16. At the same time, small hydraulic linear actuators 152 are extended to push the strap guides 62 and 64 of tying head St) around the compacted side of coil 16.r This condition is illustrated at stage II in FIG. 2 wherein it 6 can be seen that the strap guides 62 and 64 have completely encircled the compacted side of another coil 16.

The tying heads, which are identified by the reference numerals 46 on table 38 and 50 on table 48 and which may be of any conventional design, as for example Model F-S of the Acme Strapping Machine Company, operate rst to feed alength of retaining strap around the closed channel provided by strap guides 62 and 64. Thereafter, the tying heads operate to tighten, crimp and cut the strap to produce retaining bands 158 encircling the coils 16 at the points of application.

Once the compacted sideof a coil 16 has been banded, the strap guides 62 and 64 of tying head S0 are immediately retracted and the pressure being exerted by the compacting arm 60 released. As the compacting arm is pulled away from the trailing edge of the associated fixed arm, the coil is free from engagement by the various components of table 48. At this-moment, which is illustrated in FIG. 2 at stage III, the coil which is still suspended from a hook 14 on conveyor 12 enters the circular orbit of table 38 where it is engaged by a compacting arm 72a. Hydraulic Huid, under pressure is then fed to the hydraulic motor 86 underlying this compacting arm and the other side of coil 16 is then compacted by the cooperative action of the compacting arm and the trailing edge of the next adjacent xed arm 7:0. As soon as this side of the coil has been compacted, linear actuators 162 on table 38 are extended to push strap tracks 74 and 76 around the compacted side of the coil in preparation for the tying operation which is performed by the associated tying head 46 on table 38. This point in the tying operation is illustrated in FIG. 2 as stage IV.

Once both sides of ther coil have been compacted and tied, the strap tracks 74 `and 76 and compacting arm 72 of table 3S are disengaged from the coil as shown at stage V in the tying operation. The coil which is now banded at two points by retaining bands 158 is then carried by the hook conveyor to a remote storage area.

In view of the above, it can now be seen. that the apparatus 10 is capable of continuously tying both sides of successive coils being carried by coil conveyor 12. The compacting and tying apparatus on table |48 irst acts to compact and hand one side of a particular coil. While one coil is being picked up at stage I, another coil is released at stage lll. As soon as a coil has been banded on one side and released by table 48 at stage III, it is immediately picked up by the compacting and strapping apparatus of table 38 and carried through a similar sequence of operations where its other side is compacted and banded. Thus it can been that while one coil is beingpicked up at stage III, another coil is having its second side compacted and banded at stage IV while still another coil is being released from the apparatus at stage V. When the apparatus is operating at full capacity, live coils are being operated on at the same time. This multiple operational feature of the apparatus permits the tying and banding operations to be performed without slowing down the coil conveyor and without requiring the constant attention of operating personnel.

It is our intention to cover allchanges and modications of the invention herein chosen for purposes of disclosure which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for tying an annular coil or the like, comprising a conveyor for carrying the coil in a S-shaped path lying in a generally horizontal plane, two tables mounted adjacent the path for rotation in opposite directions about vertical axes, a substantial portion of the periphery of each table being parallel to th-e said path, a drive means for moving said conveyor along said path, said drive means also engaging each of said tables to cause rotation thereof in said 'opposite directions, a banding head mounted on one of said tables for movement aaa-Laad with the coil to perform a tying operation on one side of the coil, a banding head mounted on the other of said tables for movement with the coil to perform a tying operation on the other side of the coil, and control means responsive to the rotational displacement of said tables for controlling the operation of said banding heads.

2. Apparatus for tying an annular coil or the like, comprising a conveyor for carrying the coil in an S-shaped path lying in a generally horizontal plane, two tables mounted adjacent the path for rotation in opposite directions about vertical axes, a substantial portion of the periphery of each table being parallel to the said path, a drive means for moving said conveyor along said path, said drive means also engaging each of said tables to cause rotation thereof in opposite directions, three banding heads mounted 120 apart on one of said tables for movement with the coil to perform a tying operation on particular sides of the coil, three banding heads mounted 120 apart on the other of said tables for movement with the coil to perform tying operations on the other sides of the coil, and means responsive to the relative rotational displacement of each said tables for controlling the operation of said banding heads.

3. Apparatus for tying annular coils of strands or the like, comprising a conveyor for carrying each coil in an S-shaped path lying in a generally horizontal plane, two tables mounted adjacent the path for rotation in opposite directions about vertical axes, a substantial portion -of the periphery of each table being parallel to the said path, a drive means for moving said conveyor along said path, said drive means engaging each of said tables to cause rotation thereof in said opposite directions, com pacting means mounted on one of said tables for movement with the coil to compact the strands and a banding head to perform a banding operation on one side of the coil, compacting means mounted on the other of said tables for movement with the coil to compact the strands and a banding head to perform a banding operat-ion on the other side of the coil, and means responsive to the rotational displacement of each said tables for controlling the sequential operation of said compacting means and said banding heads.

4. Apparatus for tying annular coils or the like, comprising a hook-type conveyor having a curvilinear path for carrying individual coils in a dependent condition, said path lying in a generally horizontal plane, two tables mounted adjacent the path for rotation in opposite directions about vertical axes, a substantial portion of theperiphery Aof each table being parallel to the said path, chain means for moving said conveyor along said path, said chain means engaging each of said tables to cause rotation thereof in said opposite directions, each coil being supported so that at every point in the path its major aXis is substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the radius of the path at that point, a banding head mounted on one of said tables for movement with the coil to perform a banding operation on one side of the coil, a `banding head mounted on the other of said tables for movement with the coil to perform a banding operation on the other side of the coil, and means for controlling the sequential operation of said banding heads as said coils arrive within the operational range thereof.

5. Apparatus for tying annular articles and the like, comprising a Conveyor carrying each article along a curved path lying in a generally horizontal plane, a table mounted adjacent the path for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, a substantial portion ofthe periphery of the table being coextensive Iwith the said path, a drive means for moving said conveyor along said path, said drive means also engaging said table to cause rota tion thereof about said vertical axis, an area of said table being cut away to receive part of the article therein as the article enters the coextensive part of said path, and banding heads mounted on the table for movement with the article to perform a tying operation thereon while said article is in said cut away area, the operation of said banding heads governed by control means responsive to the relative rotational displacement of said table.

6. Apparatus for tying annular articles, comprising a conveyor carrying a succession of articles in an S-shaped path lying in a generally horizontal plane, two tables mounted adjacent the path for opposite rotation about vertical axes, a substantial portion of the periphery of each of said tables being coextensive with the said path, continuous chain means for driving said conveyor and for causing rotation of said tables in opposite directions about said vertical axes, an area of each of said tables being cut away to receive therein that portion of the article to 'be tied, said article being moved into said area as the said table periphery becomes coextensive with said path, and a banding head mounted on each of said tables for rotary movement with the artcile to perform a tying operation thereon while said article is in said cut away area, the operation of said banding heads `controlled by means responsive to the rotational displacement of said tables in relation to the travel of said articles along said S-shaped path.

7. Apparatus for tying the strands of an annular coil or the like, comprising a hook-type conveyor having a curvilinear path for carrying individual coils in a dependent condition, said conveyor lying in a generally horizontal plane, rst and second tables mounted adjacent said curvilinear path for rotation in opposite directions about vertical axes, a substantial portion of the periphery of each of said tables being parallel to the said curvilinear path, drive means for moving said conveyor and for causing rotation of said tables about said vertical axes, each coil being supported so that at every point in said curvilinear path, the major aXis of the coil is horizontal and perpendicular to the radius of the path at that point, compacting means carried by said irst table for locally compacting said coil at a rst position after it has entered a portion of said curvilinear path parallel to the periphery of said rst table, a banding head mounted on said first table for movement with the coil to perform a banding operation on the compacted part of the coil, compacting means carried by said second table for locally compacting said coil at a second position opposite the point of previous compacting while said coil is in a portion of said curvilinear path parallel to the periphery of said second table, and a banding head mounted on said second table for movement with a coil to perform a lbanding operation on the coil at said second position, said banding heads and compacting means subsequentially actuated by control means responsive to the rotational displacement of said tables.

S. Apparatus for banding annular coils or the like comprising a hook-type conveyor having an S-shaped path for carrying said coils in a dependent condition, said path lying in a generally horizontal plane, chain drive means for moving said conveyor along said path, first and second tables mounted adjacent said path for rotation by said chain drive means in opposite directions about vertical axes, a substantial portion of the periphery of each of said tables being parallel to the said S shaped path, the coils being supported so that at every point during their travel in said path the major aXis of each coil is substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the radius of curvature of the path at that point, a plurality of banding heads mounted equally angularly spaced on the said first table for movement Iwith the coils along the portion of said path parallel to the periphery of said first table to perform banding operations on one side of each coil, and a plurality of banding heads mounted equally angularly spaced on the said second table for movement with the coils along the portion of said path parallel to the periphery of said second table to perform a banding operation on the other side of each coil, the operation of said banding heads controlled by means responsive to the relative rotation of said tables.

9. Apparatus for banding annular coils of strands or the like, comprising a hook-type conveyor having an S-shaped path for carrying coils `in a dependent cond-ition, said path lying in a generally horizontal plane, chain drive means for moving said conveyor along said path, two tables mounted adjacent the path for rotation under the influence of said chain drive means in opposite directions about vertical axes, a substantial portion of the periphery of each of said tables being parallel to the said S-shaped path, the coils being supported so that at every point in the said path, the major axis of each coil is substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the radius of curvature of the path at that point, three compacting and banding means mounted 120 apart on one table for movement with the coils to compact the strands and to perform a banding operation on one side of each coil, and three compacting and banding means mounted 120 apart on the other table for movement with the coils to compact the strands and to perform a banding operation on the other side of each coil, the operation of said compacting and banding means controlled by means responsive to the relative rotation of said tables.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,261,589 4/1918 Mogan et al. 100-12 X 2,040,493 5/1936 Mardigian et al. 100-2 2,599,427 6/1952 Bellingher 100-2 2,674,181 4/1954 Jones 100-12 3,002,445 10/ 1961 Sansum 1GO-4 3,118,367 l/1964 Lindholm 100-4 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,087,514 8/1960 Germany.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

BTLLY I. WILHITE, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR TYING AN ANNULAR COIL OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING A CONVEYOR FOR CARRYING THE COIL IN A S-SHAPED PATH LYING IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE, TWO TABLES MOUNTED ADJACENT THE PATH FOR ROTATION IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ABOUT VERTICAL AXES, A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF EACH TABLE BEING PARALLEL TO THE SAID PATH, A DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONVEYOR ALONG SAID PATH, SAID DRIVE MEANS ALSO ENGAGING EACH OF SAID TABLES TO CAUSE ROTATION THEREOF IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, A BANDING HEAD MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID TABLES FOR MOVEMENT WITH THE COIL TO PERFORM A TYING OPERATION ON ONE SIDE OF THE COIL, A BANDING HEAD MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID TABLES FOR MOVEMENT WITH THE COIL TO PERFORM A TYING OPERATION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIL, AND CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ROTATIONAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID TABLES FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID BANDING HEADS. 